Supercharging device for turbo-compressors



E. H. SHEEBUND'Y'.

SUPERCHARGING DEVICE FOR TURBO cowmsssons.

APPLICAHGN FILED APR. 8. 1918.

1. gli fi q @mmm July 13, 192%.

Earl M flherbondg llhlll Ell ne d EARL SHERBONDY, OF CLEVELAND, (EH19.

SUPERCHARGING DEVICE FOR TURBO-COMPRESSORS.

To all whom it may cont-cm lie it known that l, Eann ll. Summoner, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Supercharging Devices for 'liu'bo-Compressors, of which the following a specification.

This invention relates to means for controlling the action of a tnrliii-compressor that is adapted to be operated by the waste gases from an. internal combustion engine to pump air to the carburetor of said engine. The device is more partieuli'irly adapted to be applied to an airplane engine and, as set l forth in detail in my co-pending case Serial No. 224894, filed March 26, 1918, is designed to provide a constant supply ol air to the earhnreter of the engine, regardless of the height at which lJl1lll1} )llllC may be. r

This invention isintended to be used in conjunction with the eontmlline; system shown in my said above mentioned co-pending case and is more particularly designed to supply additional air to the carbureter at any desired time, so that'the engine will be supercharged and an excessive amount of power will be available.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will automatically cause the engine to be supercharged at sea level and as the airplane reaches higher altitudes, to return to its normal power output,

Other objects and advantages will appear as the descri 'ition proceeds.

l lel erring to the drawings, Figure l is a diagri'lmmatic view ol the controlling. ystem and Fig. 2 is a view in section of the device for eansh'ig the automatic super rh a rgin I i he turbo;compressor comprises the turbine wheel l. and blower wheel 52, preferably rotathiiibn the same shaft 3. turbine is intended to be? operated by the exhaust from an internal combustion engine, which are led thereto through the exhaust pipe 4: and inlet casingthe gases finally er'iraping to the atmosphere through the pipe 6.

The centrifu ml blower wheel 2 ol anyv desired type, takes in air through the flaring mouth T and drives it into the collector ring 8 l'rorn whei'iee it is led through a pipe (not renown) to thecarluueter ol' the engine (not shown). A. lay-pass valve 5 is provided, which when open, lay-passes the gases from Specification of Letters Patent.

' rod The i ntei-itedelnly i3, 1?.920.

1918. Serial N0. 227,333.v

the inlet chamber 5 to the exhauht pipe 6, Without passing; through the buckets of the turbine l. i

The valve stem 9 carries at its other end a piston 9 working in a cylinder 10. One side of the piston f) abuts against the spring Ill. and the other side is connected to an oil pressure line 12, the pressure of which may he naintained in any desired manner.

it is evident that upon varying the oil pressure in the line 12, the piston 9 will be actuated to move the valve 5 to hy-pass more or less of the exhaust gases, whereby the speed of the turbine and, eonseipiently, thedelivm'y pressure ofthe conipressor may be controlled. It is evident that a high pressure in the oil line corresponds to a low compressor speed and low diliverv oressure from the compressor,

lhe pressure in the oil line 12 is con.-

trolled by a valve V, interpolated in said line, the valve V being mounted in the easing 13., Oil passages 15 and 16 provide inlet and outletnieans for the oil to and from the 'alve V, the oil finally passing into the waste line ii. The valve V by a diaphragm l) connected thereto by the (unlined above the diaphragm l), in a suitable casing 19, is a body of air under substantially atmospheric pressure. The lower side of said diaphragm I), is responsive to the delivery pressure from the airc-onipresscr, said pressure being led to the lower side of said diaphragm through the pipes 20 and The valve V and the valve 5 are shown in the position they would occupy when tluairplane is at sea level, that is to sa v, the ("hive V closes theoil line 12, so that a high pressure is maintained therein, thereby opening the valve 5 and by passing: the gases and li'ee 'iing the speed of the turl o-oompressor low.

its the airplane rises, the pressure within the pipe 20, which, through the mouth 7, is in connection with the atmosphere, tends to fall, the pressure below the diaphragm tends to Fall and the valve V is opened, clue to the expansioi'i of the eonlined air in the easing 19. This bleeds the oil line if), the spring: ll closes the valve 8, causing the turbine to run luster and the delivery pressure of the air compressor to remain substan tially constant. The details of the valve V and diaphragm l are shown and described in considerable detail in said above-mentioned crrpenrling case,

is controlled,

In short, then, it is evident that a lowering of the pressure below the diaphragm D will cause an increase in the delivery pres sure of the air compressor.

Means which constitute an important feature 01 this invention to automatically cause a lowering of this pressure below the diaphragm D, in the space which I will call S. will now be described.

Apipe 21 leading from the delivery pipe of the air compressor, leads into a Venturi tube 22, which in turn is provided with a mouth 23 leading to the atmosphere. Around the throat of the venturi, there is a hollow annular collar 2%,which is in con-- nection with the interior of the venturi through a series of holes 25. The hollow collar 24:, communicates directly with the .space S through the pipe 20. The mouth of the venturi is controlled by a valve 26, which valve is intended to automatically close the venturi as the airplane rises. It is accordingly ma'de responsiveto the atmospheric pressure in such a way that a decrease in the atmospheric pressure will cause the closing of the venturi. This may be accomplished in a number of ways, one of which I will now describe.

The valve 26 carries a Valve stem 27, which is vertically disposed and carries at its lower end a float 28, which floats in a suitable fluid 29, confined in a casing 30. The casing 30 is open to the atmosphere through an opening 31. Leading from the casing 30 is a pipe 32, opening to a casing 33 of a suitable height. The lower part of the casing 33 is filled with the fluid 29. Confined above the level of the fluid 29, there is a body of air at substantially atmos pheric pressure. This air may be confined by means which is preferably manually ad justable, such as by a screw-threaded piston 34: and a bellows 35. The operation of the device will now be described.

Keeping in mind the fact that a lowering of the air pressure within the space S will cause the air compressor to deliver additional pressure, that is to say, will cause the engine to be supercharged, the Venturi tube and associated parts accomplish this object in the following manner: In Fig. 2, the parts are positioned as they would be at sea level and are positioned to cause the engine to be supercharged. With the valve 26 open, air from the pipe 21 escapes to the at mosphere through the mouth 23, which, due to the well-known action of the venturi, will cause a lowering of the pressure within the annular collar 24 and consequently a lowering of the pressure within the. space S, which is already described, will cause the engine to be supercharged.

As the airplane rises, the air confined within the casing 33 expands, due to a 10W- direct connection with the delivery of the 4 air compressor. In other words, as the airplane rises, the supercharging action is automatically dispensed with.

By manipulation of the bellows 35 by handle 36, it is evident that the device may be caused to initiate a supercharging action at any desired point. If, however, the manual means are not used, the device of itself automatically cutsout the supercharging action as the airplane rises.

The ability to superchar'ge the engine is evidently useful in case an excess of power is desired to rise from rough ground or rough water or to escape from or catch a hostile flying machine. Again, the propeller may be designed for operation at higher altitudes and so be adapted for higher speeds. This higher speed may be attalned even at sea level by the described supercharging means.

While I have described an embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that it may be carried out in other ways and that the claims be construed accordingly.

I claim:

1. In combination, an air compressor, means responsive to the delivery pressure of said compressor to control the delivery pressure of said compressor and means responsive to the atmospheric pressure to in-' fluence said first-mentioned means to cause said compressor to deliver additional pressure.

2. In combination, an air compressor, means to cause said compressor to normally deliver air at a substantially constant pressure and means responsive to the atmospheric pressure to influence said controlling means to cause the compressor to deliver ai' at a pressure in excess of said normal delivery pressure.

3. In combination, an air compressor, means to control the delivery pressure thereof so that a normal substantially constant pressure is maintained and means rcsponsive to the atmospheric pressure to nsee see '11 said (391% pressure, to reduce the pressure Every prestrolling meane '52. said compressor, 21 "*Fenv tun tube essosmiced \Ylllll plpe eml' means responsive to the etmospllene pressure centrolling lmlleectiun ofseicl Venturi. tube.

6.3mm combinzliion 11F wlnml in claim 1, said second mentnmeu menne being also manually operable.

7. The mmbinutlon as claimed in claim 2, saicl sec-end mentioned means being also manually operable.

The combination as 3, snill second D'IQIItlOIlGCl manually eperable.

9. The mnnbinatlon as claimed in claim el, said thi'iwl menlionelil means being also manually operable.

claimed in claim means belng also 10. The mmbination as Claimed in claim 2 5, said zullnospheric responsive means lacing also manually operable.

In testmmny whereof I alll); my SLJDR- lure.

EARL H. SHERBUNDY. 

